In this interventional study, a randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the short-term effects of xylitol-containing chewing gum on the salivary microbiota. In total, 70 healthy adult men recruited from the Japan Ground Self Defense Force participated in the study during a 2-day training at Yamaguchi camp, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The men were randomly divided into two groups: one group chewed two pieces of xylitol-containing chewing gum 7 times/day for 2 days (n = 34) and the other did not (n = 36)...

It has been reported that Forkhead box transcription factor class O3a (Foxo3a) is expressed in rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory condition accompanied by bone resorption, and plays a role in its pathology. However, it has remained unclear whether Foxo3a is involved in the pathogenesis of periapical granulomas. The present study was performed to compare the expression of Foxo3a in periapical granulomas and healthy gingival tissues. Samples were obtained surgically from patients, and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin staining for histopathologic diagnosis...

Mannan (mannosylated glycoproteins) in the outermost layer of the Candida cell wall may be the first molecules that interact with host dendritic cells (DCs) and activate immune responses that determine disease outcomes. However, little is known about how different mannan structures of common oral Candida species affect DC activation. The effects of heat-inactivated (HI) yeast cells and soluble mannan of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida dubliniensis on bone marrow-derived DC (BMDC) responses were compared...

The need for domiciliary dental care (DDC) for people requiring long-term nursing care is increasing as the super-aged society of Japan grows still older. Dysphagia diagnosis and rehabilitation are becoming more important in DDC; thus, the need for prostheses used for dysphasia rehabilitation is presumed to be increasing. To identify DDC trends in Japan, as well as the need for prostheses and dental technicians for DDC, we sent a self-administered questionnaire to dentists providing DDC and analyzed responses from 138 dentists (valid response rate, 39...

The present study was designed to compare the bone augmentation ability of absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) with that of hydroxyapatite/collagen composite (HAP/Col) using a rat calvaria defect model. Bone defects were created artificially on the surface of the calvariae of 10-week-old male Fisher rats, and then cylindral plastic caps filled with ACS or HAP/Col were placed on the defects. This area was designated as the region of interest (ROI) and new bone formation was observed at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery using micro-CT...

This study investigated the stability of mini-screws placed in the median palate. The study included 25 patients (7 males, 18 females; mean age, 23.4 ± 5.6 years; age range, 15.0-34.5 years) who had mini-screws placed during orthodontic treatment at Nihon University School of Dentistry Dental Hospital. Mini-screws (diameter, 2.0 mm; length, 9.0 mm) were placed in the median palatal region; the first screw was inserted mesiodistally at the distal contact of the maxillary first molar, and the second screw was placed 6-9 mm mesial to the first screw...

To evaluate the occlusion accuracy of a novel impression technique, excessively high occlusion and the occlusal contact area during lateral movements were compared between metal restorations (restorations) and removable partial dentures (RPDs) fabricated using conventional and novel techniques. Both restorations and RPDs were fabricated on the simulation model with the precise displacement of the remaining teeth and soft tissue. For the novel technique, functionally generated path (FGP) recording and impression under occlusal force were simultaneously performed using a custom tray with an FGP table...

Using a controlled pre/post study design, we investigated the effects of professional mechanical cleaning of the oral cavity with benzethonium chloride, interdental brushes, and hydrogen peroxide on the number of oral bacteria and postoperative complications among esophageal cancer patients in an intensive care unit. Before surgery, 44 patients with esophageal cancer were recruited at Okayama Hospital from January through August 2015. The control group (n = 23) received routine oral hygiene care in the intensive care unit...

In oral lichen planus, extracellular matrix and basal cells are damaged by T-lymphocytes. As a consequence, changes in expression of collagen fibers within the connective tissue and cytoskeletons of the epithelial tissue can be observed. With the goal of examining the characteristic changes undergone by basal cells as a consequence of T-lymphocytes damage in oral lichen planus, we investigated protein expression in the epithelial-connective junction. We selected 20 cases of oral lichen planus and 5 control samples of buccal mucosa...

Brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (BMAL1) knockout mice exhibit accelerated aging, abnormal glucose metabolism, and impaired adipocyte differentiation, among other phenotypes, which are effects associated with the BMAL1 gene. No study has investigated temporal changes in the deformation of the mandibular condyle and the presence of calcification in areas surrounding the mandibular condyle. In a study of 12 C57/BL strain mice under inhalation anesthesia, we collected images of the mandibular condyle at 6 weeks after birth and then every 5 weeks from 10 to 25 weeks after birth...

Amelotin (AMTN) is an enamel protein expressed in maturation-stage ameloblasts and junctional epithelium. To clarify the transcriptional regulation of the AMTN gene by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), we conducted real-time PCR, Western blotting, transient transfection analyses with luciferase constructs including various lengths of the mouse AMTN gene promoter, and gel shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays using mouse gingival epithelial GE1 cells. The levels of AMTN mRNA and protein in GE1 cells were increased after 6 h of stimulation with IL-1β (1 ng/mL) and TNF-α (10 ng/mL)...

Magnetic attachments are commonly used for overdentures. The deleterious effects of exposure to magnetic flux on human health have not been substantiated so far; nevertheless, there is a need to understand the extent of magnetic field exposure in the oral area resulting from the use of magnetic attachments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a magnetic field on oral squamous cell carcinoma. Tumor cells cultured on a magnetic plate were compared with those not cultured on a magnetic plate (controls)...

Clear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is required to diagnose tongue cancer. However, the absence of occlusal support may cause tongue movements which are known to introduce artifacts on the MR image. This pilot study compared the manifest of artifacts from the tongue at rest and during motion using luminance standard deviation (LSD) to quantify the artifacts, in dentulous subjects. Participants were ten dentulous participants (5 males, 5 females; age 31.50 ± 8.38 years) with occlusal support. MRI was conducted with the tongue at rest and during lateral movement...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical root coverage results of subepithelial connective tissue grafts (SCTG) performed on teeth with gingival recessions and non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) that were restored with cervical fillings and compare the results of two different filling materials: resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGIC) and nano-ionomer cements (NIC). A total of 54 teeth with Miller Class I gingival recessions with or without NCCLs in 36 patients (28 females, 8 males) were treated with SCTGs...

We used radiological and histological analyses to evaluate the effects of mechanical barrier permeability in a rat model of calvarial guided bone augmentation (GBA). The calvaria of 20 rats were exposed, and one of four types of plastic caps (an occlusive cylindrical plastic cap; a plastic cap with no top; a plastic cap with three holes; and a plastic cap with four holes) was randomly placed on both sides. Newly generated bone in the plastic caps was evaluated with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analysis...

Calcium hydrogen phosphate with a hydroxyapatite-like surface (CHP-HA) is a novel synthesized compound designed to overcome the limitations of bioactive ceramics. It was originally applied as nano-sized HA strips covering core plates to enhance the degree of interfacial attachment. The objective of the present study was to examine the cellular attachment, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) on a CHP-HA substrate in comparison with conventional nanohydroxyapatite (NanoHA)...

Dietary nitrate has several beneficial effects, including blood pressure reduction and improved oxygen consumption efficiency, but in order to do so it must first be reduced to nitrite by oral bacteria. Veillonella spp., a strictly anaerobic group, are the most prevalent nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity. In response to some early studies that have hinted at inter- and intra-individual variation in salivary nitrate-nitrite conversion capacity, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence of and variation in the Veillonella species V...